Thursday, October 13, 2016

If you are interested in how my online classes work it would be great to read this letter!

Many of you are desiring deeper understanding of your craft.

I'm here to help you do this.

One of the ways I encourage this is through online classes inside my Welcome Mat now free.

I have two going this fall and I've had a number of questions about how they work so I'd like to explain further.

Spark is a year long collective, more than a class Spark is meant to gently push you over the edge to new territory in your hooking.

Each week I'll present one of the following thrusts for you to think about, act upon, watch or ignore as you wish: Process, Colour, Teaching, Inspiration. I'll also be providing around 5 inspiring thoughts, suggestions, links and eye candy during each week to expand our horizons.

There is nothing you need to hand in or do in this class, it is meant to spark your understanding, depth of meaning and execution of your ideas through any medium. This is a class like no other offered. It is about you, your artistry. I'll be there to help you, make suggestions and inform you about the hooking work you choose to do in class to help you grow as you wish.

As with everything though, what you put in grows 10 fold into what you take from any group dynamic.

We have already started hooking on a pattern called Intersection, participation, size and cut are determined by you, great stretching is taking place as we explore our stashes and colour planning and intersections. Pattern is provided.

Only $150 for a whole year of creative thriving or 41¢ a day. You are not too late rather, just in time! We want you to join us.

The Exploratorium

This class is one month long.

It has a kit, including 2 sets of transitionally dye wool, some yarny splendid goodness, hand dyed nylons, and two textures +. Each kit is unique. Shipping is included in the price of the class.

Class will start Monday, October 24. I'll send you a notification of where to go to see it the night before.

There are 4 lessons in this class and they will be set up in the first week so you might work at your own speed, fast, slow or somewhere between. When you complete a lesson or you need a boost or question answered you send in homework and I respond to your questions on the lessons, questions as you work, your homework and any other dang thing.

In this class we will look at how colour can transition to make your rug hooking more artful. There are many ways to work this pattern and we will explore them all. Colour choices cannot be made for your kit by you but all are gorgeous and I'll use my finely honed instinct when shipping, I promise.

Each roll is part of one kit

I only have room for 5 students. Will you be one of them? I hope so. Cost is $380 in the denomination of your residency country. This includes class, pattern you trace, bountiful kit and shipping.

Here are some of the results of this class.

Jamestown Class

Asheville Class

If you have already contacted me about joining this class I'll be sending you your invoice today to be paid asap and shipping your kit on Monday.

If you want to be in my group of students in this elite class, please write wlm@bmts.com pronto as I'm taking students on a first come first serve, first paid basis. You will be sent a paypal invoice.

I hope that has answered some of your questions about my classes and how they work and you are inspired to join us!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

You will never pay for access to The Welcome Mat even if I'm starving.

I'm always thinking about how to keep The Mat current and interesting and not be a burden or boring.

I'm really excited about this radical move to a free service and I can feel the positive energy already!

I can't tell you enough how thankful I am for all of your support during the years, you have blessed me in a thousand ways and helped us do so much here at Wandaworks. My company flourished and grew with your subscriptions.

So you might be wondering..... what will the Mat will look like moving forward?

You can pin to pinterest or link to facebook whatever you want that I originated from The Welcome Mat. Please ask others if you might pin or post their work first before you do it.

Each week I'll post a Our Weekly Bread discussion for a week long chew.

I change up her outfit and her main page weekly including bringing back our tidbits on Monday

We will still look at artists weekly in Styles on Thursdays.

Monthly there will be on Saturday or Sunday of each week:

a video

a lesson with a pattern attached

a formula collection

a Let's Look At This column

This means only 12 emails a month on average lessening the time you need to belong and interact.

All at no cost.

Yup - FREE

I will continue to conduct paid for classes there. All paid for classes will still require a subscription.

I will be closing down the WandaWay Studio in a week or so to reduce confusion.

I have two initiatives from the old MatI want to complete.

Colour Craft and my French Colours collection and I'll be doing that shortly.

Monday, January 4, 2016

New Skills Monday - How to Enlarge And Print Your Own Pattern

This article contains the steps for creating a pattern from digital content, like a photo. It both enlarges and prints. I'll be sharing this all in my blog too just to show people our riches on The Mat.

I have with great success in the past turned something I drew freehand into digital content by taking a photo of it ( you have to be directly over it to take the photo) or scanning it.

Create a PDF of your artwork or photo.

Do this by clicking print and looking for the words PDF in the window.

Click this drop down PDF menu open.

Select Save as PDF.

This window will pop open.

Name it and make sure it goes where you want, have it end in .pdf

Open up this PDF

Click Print

You will see this window or something very similar

Now it is time to rejig the settings to enlarge our photo into pattern size.

Click on Poster in Page Sizing

Then increase the size of your pattern until the contents reach your desired size, I choose 350 %

Click on the photo to change the tiling to represent what percentage you've chose.

Click Print.

Tape the pattern together, removing any excess paper.

Go over all important lines with a black sharpie.

Look at it from a distance

Good?

OK.
Create half cross hairs in the corners for lining up if you need it later.

I sometimes do this tracing step on a window in the day time.

Tape your paper pattern onto a tabletop or counter, be aware sharpie might go through so take precautions such as a plastic sheet below the paper.

Tape your tracing medium over the paper.

Trace your lines and be sure to write a word in the margin of the photo so you will know which side is up when it comes time to transfer it.

Remove tracing medium from paper pattern and lay down your backing in it's place, make sure you have about 4 inches of backing outside the actual pattern.

Tape your backing to the plastic covered counter so it won't move.

Tape your tracing medium down on your backing right side up ( this is where that word you wrote comes into play)

Trace over the lines slowly with a new black sharpie, the slower you go the better it will be.

Check to make sure you have done all the lines by lifting up the bottom of the tracing medium only.

All done?

Ok now go over all these lines again so they are clear and sharp.

What a pain in the hoochie but my darlings it will be yours.... all yours! The rewards are great!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Have you ever been in rug school and there is someone who speaks whispers with authority on what should be done or what we are accomplishing as a class? Not the teacher mind you but a fellow student.

Before you know it we all think we should be doing what they suggested and we are off on a tangent instead of the straight path the teacher set down.

The person next to you can help you a great deal in rug school. They can also impede you or completely distract you. When you need to know what to do ask your teacher.

I like to be interrupted during students "turns" if your progress is being impeded. If I think you are taking advantage I'll tell you you'll have to wait or if the question will take more than 30 seconds to answer you will have to wait for the window when I move onto the next person.